My evening routine for calm

An evening routine is essential when you feel worried or wobbly. It helps you get clarity and closure on the day, start to wind down and ease anxious energy, and prepare for sleep.

And those magic morning hours – before the world stirs – has this incredible way of stretching time. By waking up a little earlier, you gift yourself an extra hour or two every day to do what matters most to you.

Before I started honouring my pre-sleep routine, I would hop into bed with my laptop and phone and hope and pray that I’d fall asleep. Some nights, I would be awake for hours in the darkness. Not only did it leave me feeling groggy the next day, it also gave my brain permission to freak out about EVERYTHING. I would worry about death, my loved ones, a conversation I’d had that day, a conversation I’d have the next, why my grade 8 science teacher didn’t like me, or wondering what an ex-boyfriend was up to these days. You know those wind-up monkey toys that walk in circles clashing cymbals together? That’s what my mind felt like most nights.

I realised if I didn’t find a way to take back control, my frantic mind would keep running the show. And I would stay floating through life half-awake, dreary and definitely not in a peak state.

So, let’s dive in to the rituals that helped me turn all that around. I hope it gives you a few ideas and some inspiration to create your own evening routine to calm and clear your mind.

1. Write tomorrow’s to-dos

2. Switch off

3. Slow down

4. Give thanks

5. Pamper myself

6. Breathe & stretch

7. Slip into sleep

8. Write my worries

So that’s my evening routine!

Changing our habits can take time, so maybe you won’t adopt all of these rituals at once. Perhaps add one or two to your pre-sleep routine and see how they feel.

And of course, I’m human. So I don’t always honour myself – or have the time – to go through the entire routine. Other times I’m really tired and can just toddle off to bed without doing any relaxation. But getting into the habit of switching off from the world, and turning my focus to how I feel before bed, has really transformed the way I sleep – and how I feel when waking up the next day.

Every moment, you have the choice to change your habits and change your life. So honour your self, your time, and your energy. Place your needs first. Show up and nurture your mind, body and spirit in a way that feels good for you.